Love Island USA star Cierra Ortega makes a shock exit from the villa following offscreen racism scandal
Just weeks after another cast member sparked backlash for past racial slurs and was booted off of the show, she was fired when fans uncovered another offscreen racism scandal.
On Sunday's episode, which aired on Peacock, narrator Iain Stirling confirmed that Ortega 'left the villa due to a personal situation' and had left Nic Vansteenberghe 'officially single.'
A following scene showed him talking to Ace Green and saying he wasn't sure what he would do next — which comes just one week before the season is set to conclude.
While she was filming in Fiji, sequestered from social media, a racist post from her Instagram was uncovered by Love Island fans.
This comes just weeks after Yulissa Escobar departed from season seven after being introduced as an OG islander.
By the beginning of the second episode, she was gone with Iain Stirling simply saying in the introduction that she had 'left the villa.'
The 27-year-old real estate professional from Miami had been booted in just the third day after videos surfaced of her using the N-word in a podcast.
After the swift removal of Escobar, many fans had been anticipating the same will happen with Ortega, a 25-year-old content creator from Phoenix, who arrived on Day 2.
Past Instagram posts have surfaced of her using a racial slur towards Chinese people in two separate instances many years apart.
One post from January 2015 showed a snap of her at the top of a mountain, using a version of the slur to describe how she smiles.
There was also an Instagram story post from February 2023, showing her getting Botox treatments, again using the slur to describe her smile, and many fans are furious, calling for her immediate removal.
One post from January 2015 showed a snap of her at the top of a mountain, using a version of the slur to describe how she smiles.
While it remains to be seen if the show's producers will remove her like they removed Escobar, Ortega has already taken a bit hit in regards to her Instagram followers.
She has lost over 200K followers in the past 48 hours after the posts first re-surfaced.
Ortega was poised to potentially cross the 1 million follower mark at some point during Love Island Season 7, but her follower tally now stands at 709K.
While she's currently coupled up with Nic Vansteenberghe as filming continues in Fiji, many are calling for her removal on social media.
A new Change.org petition calling for her removal was started days ago, when the Instagram posts first surfaced, which currently has 6,670 verified signatures.
One fan - @deannacortes - shared the petition link on X, adding, 'Send Cierra Ortega home,' with the hashtags #racist #LoveIslandUSA #stopasianhate.
Another X user - @ShaneAnime1990 - insisted, 'Cierra Ortega used a racist word now we have to cancel her if she did it once she'll do it again.'
Cass Rabbit (@cassrabbit) tagged both @LoveIslandUSA and @Peacock in her tweet, which read, 'Get Cierra Ortega off your show. This is now the third time I'm seeing she used the slur for asians. Y'all rightfully kicked off Yulissa for saying the n word, what about Cierra? Or does racism against asians not matter to you guys?'
Another X user - @h0td1lfj0hnny - asked, 'Why has cierra not been dropped from the villa,,,, she's f***ing racist using slurs.
Cass Rabbit (@cassrabbit) tagged both @LoveIslandUSA and @Peacock in her tweet, which read, 'Get Cierra Ortega off your show. This is now the third time I'm seeing she used the slur for asians. Y'all rightfully kicked off Yulissa for saying the n word, what about Cierra? Or does racism against asians not matter to you guys?'
Another X user - @h0td1lfj0hnny - asked, 'Why has cierra not been dropped from the villa,,,, she's f***ing racist using slurs.
X user @SSTARZZNE added, 'cierra better be at the BOTTOM of that vote after her racist a** got exposed #LoveIslandUSA.'
Mai (@mainpopvirgo) said, 'yulissa said a racial slur (the literal nword) and was kicked out of the show (as she should) bc of the rightful outrage how is this different to cierra saying another racial slur she cannot claim'
The user added, 'Yall got yulissa up out of there quick but not cierra ??? @loveislandusa #loveislandusa Cierra not been dropped from the villa...she's f---ing racist using slurs.'
X user @SSTARZZNE added, 'cierra better be at the BOTTOM of that vote after her racist a** got exposed #LoveIslandUSA.'
Mai (@mainpopvirgo) said, 'yulissa said a racial slur (the literal nword) and was kicked out of the show (as she should) bc of the rightful outrage how is this different to cierra saying another racial slur she cannot claim.'
Ortega has not yet addressed the controversy personally via her verified Instagram page.
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